Military

CENTCOM: US Kills IS Leader in Syrian Drone Strike

JUL 10 2023·Updated FEB 7 2024

Story

Image credit: Airman 1st Class William Rosado [via US Air Force]

The Facts

US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Sunday that Islamic State (IS) leader Usamah al-Muhajir was killed on Friday in a drone strike carried out by the American military, adding that there is no indication any civilians were killed.
FOX News
He was hit while reportedly riding a motorcycle near Aleppo in northwestern Syria, an area where the US has conducted other strikes against alleged terrorist leaders.
ABC News
It was not immediately clear how the US identified the casualty as al-Mujahir, who usually operated in eastern Syria, with no further details of the military operation being provided.
Politico
This comes as the US has escalated strikes against IS leaders and operatives, killing and arresting officials who spread across the Middle East when the group was territorially defeated in 2019.
New York Post
The American MQ-9 drones engaged in this mission are allegedly the same that were reportedly harassed three times last week by Russian aircraft operating in Syria in support of Pres. Bashar al-Assad.
CNN
US officials expressed concern for three consecutive days starting on Wednesday over Russian fighter jets conducting "unsafe and unprofessional behavior" while the MQ-9 drones were on a mission against IS over Syria.
Daily Caller

Sources Split

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The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

Though Moscow professedly supports US operations against IS, which is still a major threat to regional security, its actions indicate the contrary, as Russian warplanes almost disrupted the mission that neutralized al-Muhajir. By overflying US positions in Syria in violation of mutually agreed-upon deconfliction protocols, Russia is risking inhibiting further operations to ensure the lasting defeat of IS.

Air & Space Forces Magazine

Establishment-critical narrative

While this military operation may have been successful in neutralizing an IS leader, it does not justify repeated violations of flight safety rules committed by US-led international coalition drones. Russian aircraft have been deployed strictly to ensure the integrity of Syria's airspace, which has been breached more than a thousand times in the first six months of 2023.

TASS